Not all subjects come naturally to every student. What's more, your background heavily influences your preparedness for each kind of class. Commit to paying attention in class, engaging with the material in and out of class, and prioritizing your most difficult subjects. Communicate with your teacher, and when one strategy isn't working, try something new.

Sit front and center. Students who position themselves in the front row, in the middle of the class, get much higher grades than students who sit back or to the side. Stake out your front row seat on the first day, and stay there.

If your teacher assigns seating, ask to be moved to the front. Explain that you are worried about passing the class, because the subject is challenging for you.

If that fails, say you are concerned about failing to see the board and hearing instructions. This is not a lie, as all students benefit from being in the front row for these reasons.

Students are often advised not to sit with friends. If your friends are distracting, don't sit with them. If your friends are good students, however, sit near them and follow their lead.

Discuss the class afterwards with your friends.

3

Ask questions. Participation will help you stay focused during class. If you aren't in conversation with the teacher, you won't have as much reason to stay focused. Answer questions if you know the answer, but ask questions if you don't. Don't be shy about asking for clarification if you aren't understanding something.

4

Talk to your teacher. At the beginning of the semester, go to your teacher's office hours, or visit him or her before or after the first class. Explain to your teacher that the subject you are taking has been challenging for you in the past, and that you intend to pass this class and learn the materials.

Ask if there are any additional resources you should check out before the class is underway. Teachers often have excellent recommendations of study resources and resources specific to their subject.

5

Get a tutor. If your school has a study center with free tutorials, sign up. If you or your family can afford a tutor who specializes in your subject, go for it. Tutors can be really helpful at supplementing the work your teacher does in class, because they are focused on your individual learning needs.

6

Motivate yourself with appreciation. Don't dismiss the importance of a subject because it is difficult for you. Rather, revel in what is beautiful and useful about that particular body of knowledge. Read journal articles and watch documentaries on the subject. Check out how it applies to your life.

Ask your teacher for help making these connections. For instance, if you are doing math you don't understand, ask how it is used in industry and design.

If you are reading a book you don't like, read about its historical importance. If you really, really hate the book, read criticisms of it as well! If you can articulate why you hate it, you will read more carefully and be able to internalize more of it.

Part 2

Working Your Grade

1

Break down the grading system. If you are worried about failing a class, go over the syllabus. Note what types of work are weighted most heavily in your grade. For instance, some teachers grade heavily on small homework assignments and participation, whereas others may primarily grade you on your performance on essays or tests. Make sure you are putting extra effort into the work that takes up the highest percentage of your grade.

Figure out how the grade is scored. Some teachers provide a percentage for each type of work (ex: Essays %50, Participation %10, Tests %20, Final Exam %20.)

Others work with a point system, awarding a number of points per type of work (ex: Essays: 10 pts each, a total of 30 points across the course. Participation: 1 point a day, 0 for absences.)

If your grades are percentage-based, look through the syllabus and see how many instances of each type of work there are. If essays are worth %50, or half your grade, go through and count how many essays there are. If there are 10 essays, they're only worth %5 of your grade each. If there are 2, however, they're each worth a quarter of your grade.

2

Set a grade intention. First, learn what grade you need to pass. You can pass some classes with a C, while others require a high D, while still others require any D. Ask your teacher, or check your student handbook. Next, set an intention for the grade you want. If you need a C to pass, and the subject is hard for you, tell yourself you are going to achieve at least a B.

Go through and estimate what grade you need to get on each assignment to achieve your desired grade. Edit your answers are the semester progresses.

3

Turn everything in. Even if you struggled with an assignment, turn it in. Even if you are sure you will get every answer wrong, do the assignment. A 0 will hurt your grade far more than an F. Also, teachers do have some discretion in awarding points. If your teacher thinks you aren't trying, you will get a worse grade.

Don't blow off the answers. Try your best. Turning in work that has nothing to do with the assignment will make your teacher feel disrespected.

Always turn in every draft. If a teacher is collecting an assignment, do it. Even if it isn't worth any points, but feedback has been offered, turn the work in so you can get the feedback.

Do the extra credit. If no extra credit is on the syllabus, ask your teacher about the possibility of doing extra credit.

If you accidentally miss a homework assignment, ask to do make up work.

4

Attend every class, and participate. Arrive on time, and don't start packing to leave until the instructor has dismissed the class. Coming in late could mean that you are marked absent. Bring all the materials required, and raise your hand at least once a class. Most teachers grade on participation as well as attendance.

Get your absences excused. If you have a medical or family emergency, get a doctor's note and explain the situation to your teacher.

Always let your instructor know ahead of time if you are going to have to miss class.

5

Track your grade. Keep track as the semester progresses. Keep your own records, and check the records online if your class has a website. You may ask your teacher about your grade, but try not to pester him or her endlessly. Ask up to 4 times a semester, and only before or after class, or by email.

Part 3

Studying Well

1

Start with your hardest subject. As soon as it's time to study, get out the work for your worst subject. You will have the most energy and concentration at the start of your study session, so get the worst done first. That way you'll get the dread of your hardest work off your back.

Reward yourself by moving on to your favorite subject when you are done.

2

Time yourself. Most people can concentrate well for about 45 minutes.[2] Plan shorter sessions of study, with breaks in between. Stand up and move around during your breaks.

If you have a lot of material to cover, break it up thematically. For example, if you are studying the history of cancer treatment, try studying one breakthrough at a time.[3]

3

Make a studying schedule. At the beginning of the week, write out what homework and study you will need to do each day, and for how long. Cross off the work you have done. If you are studying for an exam, do most of your studying in the weeks before the exam. Don't schedule anything but a quick review of key facts the night before the exam.[4]

This is because information stays in your head better if it has time to settle in.

Stick to your schedule as closely as you can. If you don't get to something, make sure to reschedule it.

Never reschedule anything twice. Once is the limit—after that, you're just procrastinating.

4

Study with a group. Get together with a group of classmates you know are serious students. Together, discuss the material. Write up study questions, and quiz one another. Agree on a set amount of time, like an hour or an hour and a half. Put off hanging out until the studying is done.

If you do homework together, make sure that you indicate this to your teacher so that it doesn't look like you're copying.

5

Eliminate distractions. Prepare a quiet spot with nothing but your work to hold your attention. Clear your desk of other work, so that you do not feel overwhelmed and stressed. Music will divide your attention, but if you must listen to something, opt for nature sounds or music without words, or music you know really well and can tune out.

Turn off your phone, or put it on airplane mode so you can use its timer.

Sign out of email and social media until your study time is up.

Part 4

Tackling New Material

1

Read ahead. Before you start reading material you find challenging, read the headings, subheadings, and look at the illustrations. Pause to visualize the handout or chapter, and reflect on the purpose of the lesson. This will create a structure for your mind to fill in later when you read.[5]

2

Write questions in the margins. Write two or three questions per page, or one question per section of the material you are reading. The questions should anticipate the material you are about to tackle.

For instance, if you are reading a chapter on fractions, you might write "how do I know when a number can be divided into numerals?" or "How do I divide mixed numbers?" "Can multiplication be used as a shortcut?"

As you go through, answer your questions. Revise them when you think they fall short, and add new questions as they occur to you.

3

Read and pause. As you read the material, pause after each page read or each question answered. Think about the idea you just took in. If you answered a question, explain to yourself why your answer works. This will help you recall the ideas and put the information in your head.[6]

Review again when time has passed. During your next study session, or before your next class, go over your work slowly, pausing to remember what the key concepts were and how you figured them out.

Community Q&A

One of the best ways to improve memory is by using flashcards to study. Using either handwritten or digital flashcards helps increase the speed of memory recall. Flashcards can be used for languages, spelling and definitions, question/answer, and many more different types of study. Use images on your flashcards if you are a visual learner, or cut them into different shapes and sizes if you are a kinesthetic learner.

You could try studying while standing up, which would keep you more alert and awake. You could also drink a cup of coffee or a soda before studying which will give you a jolt of caffeine. Find a nice location out of the house to use for studying, or study with friends. You should also try to study in the morning, not at night, so you'll be more awake. Finally, take breaks while you're studying. For example, you could take a 5 minute break for every 30 minutes of studying you do. These breaks will give you a chance to relax and energize yourself before continuing.